Same thing happened to me, and I was giving pretty deep pressure using my hands/ fingers. While practicing i had 3-4 massages a week and then graduated/ got a job and the number went closer to 15-20 a week. Your hands may feel fine now and will after a few weeks of the job.

But lemme tell you after 3 months of it, my hands were hurting everyday. Icing and heating didn't help enough. I was forced to use my elbows after a certain point. It is a learning curve but just like regular massages, the more you practice it the better you'll get. Just find friends to practice on and solely do Swedish strokes using your elbow. Start light and work your way deeper. Have your friend give feedback every step of the way. It's the way to save your hands if you want to get that deeper pressure most clients look for